1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to the recovery of subterranean deposits and more specifically to methods and systems for optimizing the placement and other properties of one or more flow control devices along a liquid injection well for the purpose of improving recovery from a reservoir.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Liquid injection refers to the method in the oil industry where fluid (usually water) is injected into the reservoir, to increase pressure and stimulate production. For example, in certain instances, the water replaces the oil which has been taken, thus, keeping the production rate and the pressure the same over the long term. In addition, in certain situations, the water displaces or sweeps oil from the reservoir and pushes it towards a well. Liquid injection wells can be found both on and off shore to increase oil recovery from an existing reservoir.
However, liquid injection wells frequently suffer from imbalanced placement of the injected fluid due to one or more of the zones accepting excessive injection rates and volume. The primary reason for this is permeability differences or thief zones along the well bore. With imbalances in the injection rates, problems can arise including ineffective reservoir drainage and early breakthrough of injected fluid into producers. Thus, solutions are needed to overcome the imbalanced placement of the injected fluid.